Blocking of hats



Fume 7, l932 A. HANDS l862,398

BLOCKTNG OF' HATS Filed Deo. 16,'-1950 2 sheds-sheet l i i f i l1 l l /22 i /7 1 K I 6 i h/ 25 I 3/ 3/ i 9 e 7 t z 7 6 5 June 7, 1932. A. HANDS BLOCKING OF HATS Filed Dec. 16. 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented .lune 7, 1932 stares tsezes FFCE BLOCKNG OF HATS Application filed .'Qecember 16, 1930, Serial N0. 502,742, and. in Australia December 17, 1929.

The invention relates to the blocking oi new and use l felt hats and the object thereof is to'provide an improved method of performing this operation which is simpler and considerably more expeditious than methods at present in use; a further object is to provide means of an improved nature whereby the said method may be put into eiieect.

The most common method ot blocking hats is to torce same over a cold stationary block, place a damp cloth over the outer surface of the hat and apply a hot iron to the cloth, thus driving the moisture into the hat and pressing it to the desired shape after Y which the hat is allowed to dry.

Another method in common use is to force the hat over a perforated block and to inject steam into the inside of the latter whence it will penetrate to the hat through the perforati ons, after which the hat is finished on the outer surface.

In both these methods excess moisture rmains in the hat after the blocking has been completed, and this moisture, combined with the fact that the block is comparatively cold, causes the hat to dry very slowly, and as the latter cannot be removed from the block until dry it is necessary to put the hat and the block to one side to dry while other hats are being treated on other blocks.

The present invention contemplates a new method ot blocking hats, according to which the hat to be blocked is initially dampened upon the inner surface and is then forced over a heated block of appropriate shape and retained thereupon until dry7 being externally finished in suitable manner during the drying period or subsequently.

The application oit' the hot block to the dampened inner surface of the hat drives the moisture through the material and instantaneously softens the latter so that the hat may be easily forced over the block without injury and will readily conform to the shape ot the block and will be dried quickly by the heat of the block.

During the drying, which normally occupies but a few minutes., the hat may be iinished on the outer surface with pounce paper or the like, orby other suitable method and means.

The invention consists in a hat blocking device which comprises in combination with a hollow hat block detachably mounted upon a revolvable base, and means for applying heat to the interior of the block, certain novel :features of construction as will be ascertained from the following description and which are defined by the appended claim.

In order t fully describe the invention reference will now be had to the accompanying drawings which depict two preferred forms of the hat blocking device and in which Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional elevation oi a device adapted to be rotated by hand and including a long block, and

Fig.I 2 is a cross-sectional elevation of a device adapted for rotation by a motor and including a short block.

rlhe essentials of the two forms of the invention are the same, and similar reference numerals are used to designate similar parts in the two figures of the drawings.

A hollow hat block 1 of known type is detachably mounted 0n the head i of a spider frame having legs 5, 5, by means of a set screw 3 iixed in the head 4- and engaging a central threaded boss 2 in the block.

At the lower end, the legs 5, 5 are provided with suitable feet 6 which are secured, by means of set-screws 7, 7 to a plate 8 of heat and electrically insulating material.

In the manually rotated device shown in Fig. 1 the insulating plate 8 is secured by wood screws 9 to a wooden handwheel 10, which is provided with al metal bearing sleeve 11 seating upon and about an annular bea-ring boss 12 secured through a` flange 13 to C a base 14 adapted to be mounted upon a bench or the like.

In the form of the invention shown in Fig. 2 the insulating plate 8 is mounted upon a pulley wheel 15 provided with a metal bearing sleeve 16 seating upon a ball race 17 in turn mounted upon an annular seat 18 se` cured through a flange 19 to the base 14.

Thus in the two forms of the invention the handwheel and pulley wheel respectively are freely rotatable upon the base 14 and are adapted to be turned at the required speed, by hand in the former case, and by an electric motor (not shown) coupled to the pulley wheel 15 in the latter case.

Rigidly mounted in bearing boss 12 of Fig. 1 is hollow standard 20 which projects, vertically of the base 14, through the centre of sleeve 11, hand wheel 10 and insulating plate 8; whilst as shown in Fig. 2 a functionally equivalent'standard 21 is secured in annular seat 18 and projects, vertically of base 14 through the ball race 17, the bearing sleeve 16 (in which itis a neat sliding fit) and through insulating plate 8.

In both forms of the invention, upon the upper end of standards 2O and 21 respectively, and within spider legs 5 is rigidly mounted a hollow annular receptacle 22 in which 3' seats an annular porcelain base 23 carrying an electrical heating element 24 in known manner, the axis of the element being vertical and the latter projecting upwardly towards the inner side of the block 1.

The porcelain base 23 is retained in the receptacle 22 by means of a lock ring 25 secured to the latter, and the terminals 26 and 27 of the heating element are connected by leads 28, passing through al radial recess 29 l in the lower face of base 14 and through the standard, to an external source of electrical energy.

Thus it will be seen that the heat from the heating element will be radiated to the inner face of block 1, the temperature of the latter' being regulated as required by control of the energy supplied to the element.

In order to prevent loss of heat from the element or scorching of a portion of a hat depending below the lower end of the block,

an annular lagging shield or shroud 30 is arranged about the spider as shown in Fig. 1, the shield being mounted at the lower end upon the insulating plate 8 and extending therefrom to approximately the lower extremity of the block 1. Apertures 81, 31 are provided in the lower end of the shield-so that air may enter the shield therethrough and flow upwardly past the heating element if to the block, thus assisting the transference of the heat to the latter.

In that form of the invention shown in Fig. 2, two concentric and spaced annular shields or shrouds 82 and 33 are secured to insulating plate 8; these are packed with heat insulating material and are provided with apertures 34, 34 and 35, 85 respectively at their lower ends. A band 36 of felt or the like is secured about the upper region of the outer shield 32.

In operation the block is heated by the heating element and when sufiiciently hot, the hat, of which the inner surface is damp-l ened, and, when a short block is used, the internal leather band (if any) turned down,

is forced over the block, the temperature of which is regulated by the control of the heating element. The block is revolved, either by hand or motor, as required during the blocking or finishing of the hat.

lhat I do claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is Apparatus for use in blocking hats, comprising, in combination, a base, a pillar perpendicular to said base, a block of electrically insulating material on said pillar, an electric heating element on said block, a pulley rotatable about said pillar, a spider frame supported on said pulley and located about said heating element, a hollow hat block detachf ably mounted on said frame and partly embracing the heating element, and an annular shield open at both ends, supported on said pulley and positioned about the heating element to minimize direct radiation and establish air circulation within the block.

Signed at Sydney this twentieth day of November, A.. D. 1980.

ALFRED HANDS. 

